Hush
by Kuroshiro-Kage
Summary: Vampires. When Knuckles is turned by one, the worst was bound to happen to the rest of the team. The strongest bloodthirsty mobians formed two powerful covens, slowly picking their old friends to add to their sides. Amy Rose is one of the last still mortal, but it's hard to run from those who used to love you...and that you still do. She can't hide forever. Amy/Shadow/Sonic
1. Prelude to Disaster

**AN: I hope you like it, everyone! Not much else to say than that. Sonic Characters Belong to Sega.**

* * *

It was a little before noon when it happened. When we all changed forever.

Cream and Blaze were playing on the swings together like they did every Sunday: Cream giggling in the seat while Blaze pushed her. Sometimes Cream would beg her to go higher, but she wouldn't do it. Vanilla had agreed to let them do this on one solid condition, that Cream did not come home crying and bruised, and Blaze held it seriously.

It had been years since anyone had gone to the old play park. Most of the swings were broken, the ladder for the slide was missing steps, and the seesaw was cracked in half. A new one had opened a year ago and most parents took their kids there to play, but Cream wouldn't go. She had made so many memories at the old one, just like I did.

I was at the playground that day, a small distance from Cream and Blaze underneath four trees. They used to surround a picnic area, but the table and chairs had been taken away a long time ago. Now it was just a circular clearing that grew my favorite wildflowers. Beside me, dozing off in the sunshine was my blue hero. My blue _boyfriend,_ as he'd been for almost a year.

"Oh, she's really growing up," I said, watching Cream swing. She had grown again since the last time I'd seen her, and it had been only a month! Her short hair almost reached her shoulders now, and her girly body was starting to mature. My friend was getting older, and that scared me. Little Cream in the big wide world of peer pressure, jobs, and dare I say it..._boys_.

Sonic nudged me playfully, noticing the look creeping into my eyes. He had changed, too—he was much taller and his quills were at least a full inch longer. "So are you, Amy," he said.

Me, growing? Not as much. Wearing less childish clothes didn't really strike me as a big part of growing up. Maybe it wasn't so much growing as it was my life was changing for the ten-times-better. I had everything I ever dreamed of! Perfect friends, perfect city, and perfect love life.

"I guess so," I smiled happily, and my Sonic smiled back at me.

I wanted just to squeeze him and kiss him all over and never-ever-ever let him out of my sight for as long as I lived when he smiled like that! But I also knew that doing that would likely make him run away again. I'd worked so hard to push that jittery side of me away and to the nearest cliff, and that morning I'd actually done good all day.

Well, sometimes it didn't matter how well I'd done for a day. Because somewhere deep inside me, that crazy twelve-year-old was still chasing and swinging her hammer. It had taken _three years_ to lock her up, and yet sometimes I couldn't stop her from attacking him. Sonic normally accepted all the little times she locked possessively around his waist, but they sure made me feel stupid.

"Hey," Sonic poked me, fixing me under the sparkling eyes I had fallen in love with, with all their light—still the same, no matter how time had changed him on the outside. "You look all sad. Smile."

_Smile?_ I breathed a frustrated sigh. _I'm having a serious thought war with myself Sonniku, and you want me to smile._ But no matter how hard I tried, I lasted only a few seconds with a straight face before it cracked into a smirk. "Much better," he laughed and nuzzled my cheek.

I rolled my eyes and looked up to watch Cream and Blaze again. Blaze seemed fed up with Cream ignoring her warnings, but tried to keep quiet. Instead, she smiled politely and gave her another push.

"Nice they do that sort of thing together," said Sonic, following her gaze and seeing Blaze. "Ya know, she's not the nicest kitty."

I giggled at that, teasing, "No, but what better teacher than Cream, the mighty friendship queen?" and waving my hand out at them. At the same time Blaze let out a hiss and I slowly drew it back. "Um…yeah. Not a good kitty at all…"

"Cream's got this," Sonic smirked, closing his eyes and resting lazily on the tree trunk.

"Yeah, she always does. So, sooner or later, there might be another hero around here. Might just be better than you!"

"Might. Let me know when your friend breaks the sound barrier."

I rolled my eyes. "You have the biggest ego in the whole universe, Sonic."

"Yeah, so?" His voice lowered to a purr. "Don't pretend you don't love it."

I opened my mouth to make another joke, but as always he was faster. He darted in, shutting my mouth and kissed me until my head spun. And suddenly I was trapped in that sweet world of my mind, one I never wanted to escape from.

"I do love it," I giggled as we pulled away, and shoved him playfully against the tree.

We never noticed him there walking towards the girls. Maybe if we had, things would've been different.

_He stood at the edge of the park, watching the swing go up and down...up and down. The rusty creak of the chains shot more pain into his headache. He whined, his large hands trembling as they reached to wipe his sweat-covered forehead. The ground around him was shaking, sinking under his feet and begging him to fall.  
_

_He hadn't been safe back home, and not in the city streets. Isolation made his desire peak, and so many other people lit a fire that burned in his throat. And now that he had come sure of being free from it, they were here! Two people that he knew! His own mind defied his body and led him here, almost as if he knew the girls would be there today. Was that what he wanted?  
_

"_Gah—!" He cringed, tasting something sour. He shook his head wildly to get it out, the crimson quills whipping around in all directions. If it would only stop, maybe just for a second so he could run back to his safe, quiet island and try again…  
_

Sonic sighed contentedly, shifting against the ground and closing his eyes. Amy's body had relaxed a while ago, and he was almost sure she had fallen asleep. He was also sure that he wouldn't be too far behind her.

"_Gah—!"  
_

His ears lifted in surprise and he woke up completely. He glanced around for the sound, interested, until he saw Knuckles standing by the swings. Was that really Knuckles the Echidna at a kiddie park? He usually stayed locked up on his island on weekdays…

Something seemed wrong with him. It was the way he slightly crouched over, head in his spiked hands. How he let out groans of pain. Was he sick or something?

"Ames," he called, nudging her in his arms. When she didn't budge, he pushed harder and repeated, louder, "Amy!"

"Hmm…?" Amy muttered sleepily, blinking to adjust to the sunshine. "I swear…I was totally awake…"

"Yeah. Isn't that Knuckles?"

_His head was pounding and spinning, forcing his clenched fists to tighten until the gloves tore. It burned so badly, and water hadn't made it go away. Nothing would make it go away!  
_

Amy turned to where Sonic pointed, nodding as she saw him. "Should be. I don't know anyone else with that hairstyle," she snorted. "Wait…why is he all twitchy? Sonic?"

_Please, someone make the pain stop! Waves of this strange desire hovered over his head and threatened to drown him. If he could maybe talk to one of the girls—was that was his body wanted? Would that stop the pain?  
_

"Yo, Knuckles!" Sonic shouted loudly, waving. But Knuckles didn't answer. Instead he walked slowly for the swings. Sonic jumped impatiently to his feet and yelled a second time.

As Knuckles came closer, the two of them could see him in detail. He was covered in beads of sweat. The steps he took were struggled and awkward and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked ready to drop, sicker than anyone they'd ever seen, and someone who really needed a hospital than a swing-set.

_There they were, smiling to each other and laughing. Was that his name, being called? No, just a trick of his mind. He remembered the lavender cat, but the memory seemed like smoke that he couldn't wrap his hands around. Her name was...Daze, right? No, Haze?  
_

"_Knuckles?" she asked, abandoning her grip on the swing chains. The powerful shock of fire knocked him to his knees with a __strangled gasp. That was it: her name was Blaze.  
_

"_Oh! Mr. Knuckles!" Cream cried, jumping down from her swing and joining her friend. "Are you okay?"  
_

_Was he okay? He wasn't so sure anymore. The heat in his throat had become an inferno, and he was choking hard on the flames.  
_

_Blaze's hands were on his shoulders, so very close to his face. She breathed and he felt it, heard it, and tasted it against his tongue. "You need a hospital, now," she said, blowing more of that cool scent through his nose. So cool it had to heal the burn. Something that felt so tempting had to have a reason for being there. He felt his mouth shift, something moving underneath his lips. It felt so… right.  
_

_Something so…tempting.  
_

"_Hold on, I'll get you up," Blaze breathed.  
_

_His eyes snapped open and he felt his hands slam into her chest, trapping her under his weight. She shouted in alarm and thrusted herself upwards, aiming to throw him off, but he was like a stone. She kicked, she clawed, but nothing could stop him now.  
_

_Her head slammed into the ground with a loud crack as Knuckles forced it down with a fist to her neck. Her teeth snapped down on her tongue and she tasted her own blood. "Enough of this!" Her hand rose, filled with orange flames and swiped out at his head. It did nothing. She roared, "Argh! Damn it, Knuckles, get off m—!"  
_

_But then she felt it.  
_

_A terrible pain pierced through Blaze's skin and the words died into a ragged squeak. The powerful sting stilled her breath, paralyzed her thoughts, and the world slowed down around her. Her eyes widened in panic realizing in horror that Knuckles had just…  
_

"Oh, my god! He bit her!"

Amy wailed in terror, frightened tears beginning to run down her cheeks as she stood there watching the light die from Blaze's eyes. This wasn't happening. This wasn't real! "S-Sonic!" She pleaded in a hoarse whisper, shaking the blue hedgehog's arm beside her. He was still and silent. "Sonic, do something!" She begged louder, knocking into him, folding her ears in to block out the terrible sound of screams.

But Sonic didn't. This was like a sick version of a horror movie, and if he tried to stop Knuckles they could end up the same way. He looked down at Amy, back to the playground—they hadn't been seen. He knew they could run. With a pained expression, he shook his head.

"No."

Amy's eyes widened in disbelief. "N-no...? No! You can't just do nothing!" She shouted, shoving desperately into him. _"He's killing her!"  
_

"I...I said no, okay?!" He growled and grabbed her arm to pull her away. She'd thank him one day.

I did thank him one day. And now a full year and a half later, I still really do.

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**AN: Hope you liked: Review if you did, let me know! Next, the danger grows...**


	2. The Only One Left

_I want to thank everyone for their reviews, of course! Forgive me for the BIG time lapse, but I thought it would be more exciting to just jump right into it. As to some details of what happened before this fateful night, I'll leave that to your beautiful imaginations._

* * *

**Present Day—Amy Rose**

I stood at the counter of the local convenient store, holding my hand to my coat. It was bleeding through the tissues I brought to keep it clean. The cut wasn't big, but it was deep and stabbed personally by my kitchen knife. I had wanted to slice apples—probably should have remembered how clumsy I could be.

"You're sure you don't have anything?" I asked again. The cashier was getting on my nerves. "I've seen band-aids in here before."

He shrugged lazily. "Look, sweetheart, I can't help you. We're all out," he said.

"I'm bleeding," I repeated, struggling to keep calm. This was really bad. I'd tried four stores in the city and they were all out of things to treat the cut, but I had hoped I would get lucky with this one.

"I see, and I'm sorry about that. But I can't give you what I don't have," the cashier sighed, popping a little green mint into his mouth. "Just wrap it up in some tissue, that should do it."

I groaned, silently spitting: _Um, hello? I have some on it now. Do you see it working?_ "You don't understand, sir. It needs to be covered _right now_."

"What, are you in a hurry?"

I glanced nervously at the darkening sky. Yes. Yes, I was. "You really don't understand the situation!" I snapped, losing my patience.

"Enlighten me," he muttered, rolling his eyes and putting his hand on his cheek—like I wasn't the first crazy girl to scream at him this week. "Alright, look. Don't you have someone at home you can bother with this? A parent, friend, relative?"

Suddenly, the store felt a lot more empty and cold. I swallowed. "No…no, I live alone."

"Then I can't help you. Please, don't hold up the line." The man smiled, showing me the four angry people waiting behind me.

With a glare at him, I moved for the next person. I tore a few new tissues from the counter's open box before leaving, wrapping them around my hand and stuffing it in my coat pocket. The bell on the door jingled as I closed it.

The sky was turning a beautiful orange as the sun went down. I looked around me as I walked, watching people's faces. Sonic had taught me that—you could never be too careful. A gust of cold air hit my face and I hugged my coat to my body, deciding to focus on getting home.

_No, I will not enlighten you, _I thought as I made my way through the street. _You couldn't handle the truth anyway. I hope you cut your finger. I hope you're walking alone at night with your bloody finger and they come for you._

It had taken only two months for things to get this bad. So bad that a thought like that could be very close to the truth. So many people had disappeared all around the city, and the mortality rate kept rising. I couldn't watch TV anymore without hearing about another body found broken and empty in an alley or the woods.

At first, only Knuckles and Blaze had disappeared. Over a few weeks, everyone else became nervous, saying they had seen one of them watching them from the woods or wandering around the city at night. But it wasn't enough to put anyone on alert…yet.

After a third Blaze sighting, Silver went to find her and never came back. Then Espio vanished. Confused and scared, most of us stopped leaving home except on emergencies. Sonic closed the two of us inside the apartment, keeping out the outside world. We wouldn't tell the others what we knew. It would only make them panic, or get cocky and try to fight a battle they couldn't win. We would just lay low until the mess sorted itself out.

Of course lying low had never been Sonic's thing.

I turned onto the shopping district, passing the glass windows of numerous stores showing off their new holiday fashions. I loved winter—all of the creative lights and music decorating the city lifted my spirits, no matter the situation. A sparkle caught my attention from the corner of my eye and I paused to take a closer look. There were shiny gold chains and silver lockets laid on red velvet cases. Each piece of jewelry had a gemstone fit into its center: a beautiful emerald so polished I could see my reflection in the sides. It was so pretty…so green…so _familiar…_

"_What's wrong, Sonic?"_

_Sonic lifted his head and turned to me. He had been standing near the door for at least twenty minutes with his arms folded to his chest, sighing every now and again. _

"_Nothing," he replied quietly. Then his ears erected and he looked back at me again. "Amy…does it ever bother you?" he asked._

_I frowned, walking up to him and leaning into his shoulder. "Does what bother me?"_

"_Not knowing what happened to everyone." _

_He watched me sadly, something I'd never really known my hero to show. It was a hard thing to wonder over. If all our friends had turned into monsters or still hid out like we did. "Well, we know what happened to Blaze and Knuckles," I said._

"_It makes me worry, ya' know?" He braced his hand on the door and let out a huff of air. "I mean, Blaze was a really good fighter and Knuckles took her down like it was nothing!"_

"_It wasn't her fault. He wasn't himself. He's a…" My voice lowered to say the word I hated so much. "…vampire."_

"_You don't get it," Sonic growled, narrowing his eyes. "She was strong. The same thing that happened to Knuckles happens to her, too, right? That's how the movies play out."_

"_Yes," I said, a little confused._

"_What if she went after Cream? She was right next to her." His eyes widened as a thought dawned on him. "What if she goes after…Tails?" _

_I watched his teeth bare in pain at the thought of losing his friend, and it made my heart break in two to see. I flung my arms around him. "Don't!" I demanded. "Don't think like that!" _

"_I'll never know, because I'm hiding like a rat from my own friends."_

"_Sonniku," I frowned, pressing into his chest. _

_His gaze switched from the door to me. The door to me. _

"_Amy…" he finally murmured, hugging me to him and combing his fingers through my hair. "I…I have to go."_

"_Go—?"_

"WATCH OUT!"

I opened my eyes with a scream as I ran straight into another girl and knocked us both to the pavement. Her shopping bag tore open and spilled colorful paper out that caught the wind and blew away. I groaned and picked myself up from the ground, lifting my head to find her and apologize.

But there was no one there.

Not just the missing girl. The whole street had emptied of people, leaving me alone in the dark holding a ripped bag. A streetlamp flickered to life and buzzed above me. My eyes widened in horror. How long had I been out here, daydreaming and losing track of time?

In the darkness behind me, I heard a growl.

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_This has been redone a little, but no matter. Others introduced in the next chapter, so stay tuned!_


	3. Intuition

_Welcome, everyone, to Shadow's coven._

_Things will start picking up now, I promise! Much thanks to all of you who support with your lovely reviews, you can't imagine how much it helps out. Look, guys, this time I didn't edit too much. This is how I really write, and I wanted to test it. I just hope it still keeps interest. _

_In case it would confuse, here are a few things to know:_

_-The main character is Amy, but there will be three main viewpoints throughout the story._

_-Words in italic for now are telepathic conversation. As in mind to mind._

_-"Alpha" refers to the leader of a coven or small group of vampires. The alpha is usually the strongest and oldest._

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Intuition**

His golden eyes watched his target carefully from the shadows as she adjusted the strap of her handbag. She was a young cat, her face retaining its youth. Couldn't have been more than twenty, maybe younger. Her hair was blonde, tangled, and short. A strong scent of some cheap perfume carried with the wind. The girl leaned onto the wall of the alley, eyes trained on an apartment door beside her. Every now and again, he would hear her sigh hopelessly or shake her head in disbelief. Poor thing—must have been locked out.

Observation, he thought. He was only here for observation.

The cool breeze was a welcome sensation slipping through his fur after crouching still for so long. His bright color betrayed him in the dark, and he needed to stay absolutely still to blend. Maybe she wouldn't be too frightened of him at first, but everything changed when he came closer. He hated that the most—not being able to get involved. Just one more perk of his _lovely_ little curse.

A shudder of anticipation passed through him as his eyes traced the curve of her neck, so unprotected…so breakable. He could hear the beat of her heart resonating loudly in his ears. With a soft growl he closed his eyes and tuned out the world, if only for a moment. Perk number two: the thirst. It proved to be controlling, driving, and dangerously unbearable if not satisfied. He was a mature vampire for his youth, but even an immortal centuries old couldn't ignore the call of blood.

His eyes snapped open as a short cry pierced the night, followed by a heavy thud against pavement. The girl was gone, snuffed out as quickly as her cut-short scream. A familiar scent drifted with the air and mixed heavily with the perfume—a sort of darkness that could only come from one like him. He cursed under his breath, sprinting to the alley in a blur of white. This was bad, especially if the other turned out to one of…

He paused, skidding to a halt in the darkness to find a familiar face crouching over the cat girl's body. Rouge looked up at him in surprise, then flashed a smile and winked. "Oh, Silver. Was this yours?"

He shook his head, watching the mature bat notice the red on her fingertips and bring them to her lips. A feeling of disappointment settled in his throat as he watched her victim stare with wide eyes into the darkness, unable to move. Rouge had made a clean cut across the back of her neck; a little trick for paralyzing. But on a lighter note, at least she was another member of his own coven and not…one of them.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed.

"Well, if you don't mind sharing, you're welcome to."

"No," he shook his head. "I meant, what were you thinking? Shadow specifically said—"

"Yeah, yeah, 'no hunting until I return'. What's he going to do, yell at me?" She snorted, lifting her victim's limp body into her arms bridal style and running her fingers through her hair. Vaguely, Silver thought it seemed like she was a child playing with her life-sized doll. "Please."

He smirked. "Mm. You haven't seen someone defy him yet, have you?"

The ivory bat rolled her eyes. " I wish I knew why you're so afraid of him. You and Espio alike."

A dry laugh echoed from seemingly nowhere, surprising them both. The empty space beside Rouge began to ripple and a clear silhouette surfaced. Espio showed himself clearly then, eyes trained on her with flat seriousness. "Fear is for the enemy."

"Then why is it so important to listen?" she challenged. The girl below her had started to recover from her strike, and muffled sounds of panic were squeezing through the tight line of her mouth.

Espio gave Silver a sideways glance, and received his nod of approval. "It's better to listen to one who could easily…well…"

"…Tear you to shreds?" Silver offered. The chameleon dipped his head in agreement.

Rouge shrugged, smoothing the fur around the girl's ears. "Well, I'll believe it when I see it."

"Don't worry, you will." Silver's gaze returned to the girl, now able to twitch her fingers. "And just end it already, will you?"

The smile she returned him was dazzling, purposely flashing her fangs. Silver had never particularly known Rouge that well- he'd never particularly known _anyone_ from the time period. Though there's a certain bonding that comes with being the one to steal a person's life away and turn them into something else. Even if he didn't know much about her then, it didn't matter now that things were different.

As he left the alleyway, ignoring the familiar sounds of feeding, he felt Espio fall into step beside him. His yellow eyes were narrowed in concentration, and he knew the temptation was pulling him more than usual. Though, he thought bitterly, even if he wanted an answer all he'd get was an excuse. "Are you alright?" Silver ventured.

"Super," he muttered.

Silver smiled warmly, bumping encouragingly into his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure Shadow will be back soon."

The two came to the edge of the darkness, stepping just to the boundary between it and the flickering lights of the city. It was quiet, still; a safe haven for creatures of night. His left boot bumped a glass bottle with a soft _clink_, rolling it a few inches. With a wave of his hand, an aqua glow enveloped the object and he lifted it into the air, levitating it around a bit. His companion looked up at it in interest for a moment, but the shift in attitude quickly faded.

"It's not…that," Espio said slowly, folding his arms. His eyes stared out among the buildings, and it seemed he'd rather be lost within them than speaking now. "I…"

"Yeah?" Silver prompted, refusing the pauses.

He closed his eyes. "I sense something changing. And not for the better. Be it premonition or vision, it feels close."

"Premonition?" Silver frowned. "You mean—"

It was then he felt a brush against his consciousness, soft like the touch of a fingertip to a petal and just as fragile. The familiar sensation pushed at him, asking for entrance to his mind, and he relaxed to allow it in.

_Finally. _

Shadow's mental voice was loud; he was close. Silver glanced over the patches of cover deeper through the city, but saw only darkness and discarded papers. He cringed at the tingle of the connection between the two. No matter how many times he'd gotten used to that telepathic stuff, it always made his stomach churn.

_Sorry, _ _I was…preoccupied._

_ So I have heard, _Shadow mused._ A premonition of some sort._

Silver smirked. _Reading minds without permission again, are you? No self-control._

_ I do not need permission, and you do not need to question me, _he growled. _Besides,_ he added lightly,_ if you possessed the ability to do so, tell me how you'd resist the urge._

_ I wouldn't be able to, _Silver replied.

_Exactly._

He felt the connection closing, and his head clearing of the other hedgehog's thoughts. Espio had stood unmoving beside him, watching lights. His hand still held the bottle in the air, and he floated it closer to him for better control. "Shadow?" The chameleon asked, glancing briefly in his direction. He nodded, resting his back against the wall beside him and flipping his new toy in the sky.

As an answer to his question, quiet footsteps from behind them alerted them to another presence, and Shadow walked up between the two. The black hedgehog set his crimson gaze on Espio, lingering for a long moment before his expression cleared in understanding. Most likely taking whatever answers Silver wasn't able to give him from his own memory.

"Join Rouge," he instructed, jerking his head back towards the dark streets. "Make sure there aren't any more _accidents_."

"M-hm," the ninja replied curtly. With that thoughtful look on his face, he darted through an alley and out of sight.

The two hedgehogs stood in silence for quite a while. The aqua light of Silver's psychokinesis danced over the walls. The glow usually so comforting looked ghostly on the stone.

"Did you find out what the whole 'premonition' thing was about?"

Shadow huffed. "I don't believe even he knows what he meant."

"He says something is coming. Something dangerous."

The stronger vampire nodded, leaning against the wall and folding his arms. "There will always be danger. When we live so close to another coven, how can there not be?" He lifted his eyes to Silver's, raising an eyebrow.

"He has as much to fear as we do," he reminded. "Well, besides all of his connections."

Shadow scoffed, turning away from him.

"Well, maybe," he offered, "it won't be as big of a problem as you think it will. We could talk with the others and work out a deal."

Shadow's crimson gaze hardened. "So foolishly true to your heart. That will end up killing you if you aren't careful."

Silver gave a bitter chuckle, letting the glass shatter to the ground with a flourish of his fingers.

"It already has."

* * *

_There goes everything! Really, tell me if it's written too...well, anything._

_I know, I know; you were hoping for a Shadow POV. Don't worry, it will come soon! _

_Au revior!_


	4. Escalate

_As always, I want to thank you all for reviewing! I really appreciate it._

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Escalate**

For a moment, it felt as if I'd fallen asleep. I had slipped into the dark silence of a bad dream. But that's the thing about dreams—you open your eyes and see the familiar colors of your bedroom wall, and everything is normal and right again. You can forget the fear, because it was only in your mind. When I opened my eyes, I didn't return to a normal, safe world.

Because this time, it wasn't just a dream.

This time it was real.

I could hear a low sound behind me, like fabric brushing slowly across the pavement. My mind went in a million different directions, flashing images of horrible sources for the noise, so I quickly tried to focus on anything else. There wasn't anything behind me, I told myself again and again. There wasn't anything behind me. Yet the sound brought me out of my desperate hope and crashing back to reality, with its continual:

_Shff._

_Shff._

_Shff._

Finally it stopped, and there was only silence again. But I knew whoever it was only inches away. I could hear the even rhythm of their breathing. Why weren't they speaking? I knew their kind could… at least Knuckles had, to a point. At the thought of my old friend my eyes widened, and the horrible memory flashed through my mind. That was going to happen to me. I was… going to die. And still, a small piece of me was screaming that I could survive this. I was Amy Rose, not some scared little girl! I could fight with everything I had, or die trying! I could—

"Turn," a very powerful voice suddenly ordered, definitely male. It sent an uncomfortable shudder all the way down my body. Immediately I felt an overwhelming urge to pivot on my heels and face the stranger, and before I had time to process what I was doing I was looking into a pair of shockingly blue eyes watching me from a shadowed face. He was tall, wearing a dark, hooded cloak that made it difficult to see his features, but the little glow from the street lamp showed me all I needed to see. Every flash of light glinted off of two unnaturally pointed teeth on either side of his parted lips. Any hope I held slipped away like dust through my fingers.

The male seemed to study me for a moment, the icy blue gaze travelling from my ears to my shoes, and back again. Then he met my eyes and asked, in a tone that made me want to listen, "What is your name?"

I blinked. I wasn't expecting that at all. "Emily," I lied.

His lips curved into a smirk, and he closed the distance between us with a fluid step. I tried to back away, but I couldn't bring myself to move. "Oh? But you fit the description so perfectly."

"Description?" I think aloud, and instantly scold myself.

He moves his hand to my face, and I cringe as his fingers tap over each feature he names. "Yes, pink…light green eyes…the bangs…ah, even the distinct scent! Something sweet…hmm," he made a noise deep in his throat, almost like a purr. "Do you really expect me to believe there could be two of the same?"

_Just keep talking, _I told myself. _You can do this._

"A scent, you said?" I questioned casually. "Exactly how would you know it?"

He smiled, reaching a hand into the folds of his cloak and pulling out a ripped piece of red fabric for me to see. It took me a moment of looking it over before I realized, with a short gasp, that it was mine. It had been torn from the short, cherry colored dress that I had worn so often when I was younger. I swallowed with some difficulty, rocking slightly back and forth on my heels like the clothing meant nothing to me. "Oh?"

"It's quite faint, to be honest," he said. "But it proved enough to find you, little Amy."

"My name is Emily."

"No," he chuckled, tapping me lightly on the nose. "It isn't."

A shuddering breath escaped me at his touch and I stumbled back, knowing he hadn't bought it at all. The danger of my situation fully dawned on me. "I sw-swear, I'm not—"

"Now," he continued, stopping my words with a finger to my lips. I immediately swatted it away, making him laugh darkly. "Since we're done with our little identity game, you'll be coming with me."

"You're not going to…?" I started to ask, but forced myself to stop before I got the answer I didn't want.

The vampire laughed. "Kill you? No, little one. He'd be very displeased."

"H-he?" I stammered, but he only smiled and extended a hand.

"Easy way, or hard way. Your choice."

I looked at the stranger's palm, waiting for mine. Come quietly and take it—that would be the 'easy way'. My eyes narrowed and I glared up at him, furious that he would take me for such an idiot. "_Neither,_" I spat, and launched a punch right in his concealed face. He released a sharp breath of air, startled for a brief second, and that was all I needed to run away as fast as I could down the street.

"_Stop." _

I shouted in agony as something slammed me still, like my body had turned against me, fighting me. I collapsed to my knees and felt the pavement scrape the skin, but my hands wouldn't move to hold the wounds. Sharp pain shot through my stomach and spread everywhere else in lines, all the way to my fingertips. Tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision. It was so intense that I could think of nothing else.

"Foolish girl," the vampire hissed, irritated by my resistance. I forced my head to turn and look up at him, and saw the tall male standing above me with a raised hand. A sphere of dark red light bathed his palm. "Did you think you could escape? Do you take him for a fool, to send just anyone to retrieve you?"

"Please…" I choked, wrapping my arms around myself even though I knew it wouldn't stop it. "Please, it hurts!"

He only laughed, twisting his hand, and the pain grew ten times worse. I couldn't help it. I screamed, begging him to stop, please stop, just kill me…

His laughter suddenly stopped and was replaced by a fierce snarl—no, that wasn't _his_ voice. The cloaked male shouted in shock as an aqua glow enveloped him and lifted him into the air, slamming him into the closest building. Pieces of brick and dust clattered over the sidewalk at the impact. He coughed and placed a hand on his head, his icy eyes dazed and confused as he struggled to regain his senses. I shouted in surprise, his hold on me gone, and scrambled to my feet to back away. The vampire's eyes narrowed into icy slits of hatred as he caught sight of his attacker. "You_ dare_ to interfere?" He hissed.

His answer was a threatening glow from the silhouetted figure that had attacked him. The illumination from his hands revealed only the outline of his form to me, but from the way the vampire stared at him it seemed he could see more.

"I know you," the cloaked male said with a grin that exposed his fangs. "You belong to that little group of _weaklings! _Ha! This will be all too simple."

"Get away from her," the other growled in reply. That voice… why was it so familiar? I tried my best to see the owner, yet the darkness yielded nothing but the aqua glow around him.

He chuckled. "Make me."

"With pleasure."

The glow intensified, burning brighter and bathing the neon color over the street. Little orbs separated from its source and enveloped something I couldn't see in the darkness, until they burst and two large pieces of the sidewalk tore through the air towards the cocky male. He shouted in confusion and barely sidestepped the first chunk of stone. But he'd forgotten the second, and the projectile slammed into him, knocking him several feet backwards with a howl of pain. Streaks of dark red stained the sidewalk where he'd skidded to a stop, and he clasped his face as blood spilled down from his wounds. He roared in fury, getting to his feet and flaring the red light into his palms.

In an explosion of electrical blue, the figure lunged with incredible speed towards the injured vampire and knocked him over again, holding him to the ground with a steady hand. In the light of the street lamp, I could see his lips spread into a victorious smile. "Surrender?"

"Fool!" The defeated male spat venomously. He attempted to claw at the one above him, but his position rendered attacks useless. "Why protect the mortal? She means nothing to you!"

"Well, that doesn't answer my question," he snorted, ignoring the mention of me.

"They'll come for you," the vampire said darkly, laughing. "_He'll _come for you, and the rest of your pathetic coven!"

"And you won't be joining them."

My rescuer positioned his palm at his opponent's neck, and with a sudden flick of his wrist there was a sickening crack that made me cover my eyes and whimper softly. When I dared to remove my hands from my face, all I saw was the victor standing above a pile of ashes, slowly being carried away by the breeze.

I was trembling so badly it was difficult to push myself to my feet again, and I sank right back down when I tried. As he noticed my trouble, my rescuer came to my side and offered his hand. I didn't even question it—just grabbed it and let him help me upright again.

And I stood in front of Silver the Hedgehog.

"Relax," he smiled softly, fixing my gaze with those bright, golden eyes that had sparkled at me in Soleanna. "It's…" His smile faltered, turning slowly into a confused frown. "It's over…"

I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't wrong, but the snow colored male in front of me never changed. "Silver," I remarked slowly, then as the realization hit me a huge grin broke out on my face and I captured my friend around the shoulders in a hug. "Silver, it's you! _It's_ _really you_!"

"A-Amy," He stammered, gently disconnecting my arms and pushing me away. "What are you doing here? How…how are you here?"

"You saved me," I beamed, not noticing the confusion and worry growing in his expression and reaching up to hug him again. "You…_ow._" I flinched, the action sending a shock of pain through my stomach. I tentatively touched the area, and brought my palm back to my eyes. The glove was stained a wet, dark red. "_Ow…_"

Silver's gaze flickered momentarily to the wound, a strange look entering his eyes. But he shook his head fiercely and grabbed my shoulders, urgency in his voice. "Amy. _What are you doing here_?"

"I stayed outside too long."

"You're still—" he paused, his eyes widening. "You're mortal!"

"Um, yes. Aren't…"Then I froze, realizing my mistake. I glanced down, moving down Silver's face, until I reached his parted lips…with two unnaturally long fangs on the top and bottom. "No," I gasped, tearing myself from his grip and stumbling backwards. Pain from my stomach numbed my fingers. "N-no, you're one of them!" I whimpered loudly.

"Amy, please! Listen to me, you have to—"

"St-stay away from me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, just listen!" He pleaded, grabbing my wrist. I screamed, kicking out with all my strength and knocking him back a little. With an almost hurt expression, Silver raised a hand and the aqua glow emanated from his palm, reaching out to envelop me in the bright color. I choked out a cry as my body was paralyzed, suspended a few inches off the ground by his power. "Calm down," he said. "Please."

The pain in my stomach was growing worse; I could feel my clothes becoming damp as I bled profusely, and my vision was blurring by the second from the quick loss. "Let… let me go…" I whimpered. He answered me, but by this point I couldn't hear it. It sounded far away, as if I was sinking underwater and he was above the surface. "Let…" I felt myself fall, land in something warm. By now I could barely twitch an ear, and I lay there limply, knowing I had to be dying. It hurt like I was.

My hearing went in and out, and I caught a bit of a conversation.

"…too late."

"No! You can't leave her to die!"

"It's far too dangerous, Silver, and you know that."

"I don't care! Does a life mean _absolutely nothing_ to you? Just because we are what we are does not mean we have to forget who our friends were! Who your friend _still is_!"

There was a pause, and a frustrated snarl. I tried to remember what was familiar about the second voice, but I could barely focus on anything as darkness closed in.

"…very well."

I vaguely felt the sensation of being lifted into the air, cradled in someone's arms. I was so tired… so, so tired. I couldn't hold on to the world anymore. I gave in to the cool blackness around me, and fell into the bliss of a dream.

* * *

_There are no words to explain the intensity of my flipping out at the fight scene XD_

_I'm sorry if the closing is a bit rushed; at least it felt that way to me, but I haven't updated in so long I felt it would be better not to keep anyone waiting while I picked over tiny details. _

_Ciao~!_


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